The Dimension Axis: Worlds Unraveled
by Orthros
Summary: In a post-apocalyptic, multi-dimensional universe where every enemy is immortal and invulnerable, where you can't trust anyone, and the best heroes of all are nothing but distant, painful memories, a new age of unlikely people, separated by a sea of infinite possibility and space-time, will step forth to attempt the impossible. Will they have the courage to succeed?
1. Prologue - The Letter

**-February 9, 7:45 AM, Hogwarts Great Hall, 3rd Person-**

As dawn's light broke over the horizon, hundreds of students squinted against it's sudden, bursting appearance. They glanced at the bewitched ceiling for a moment, before returning to their many conversations. At the staff table, Professors Flitwick and McGonagall were deep in discussion over their plates of scrambled eggs, debating the fast-approaching O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s that would soon be upon them.

A sudden, loud whooshing noise turned all heads towards the ceiling once again, however, as scores of owls (the birds, not the tests), entered through the windows near the top of the near-invisible roof.

All eyes were quickly drawn to one bird, however, that did not match the rest. It's likeness was unknown to any of the students, who gazed and pointed, open-mouthed. With its three-foot wingspan, steel-grey colored feathers and dark, intelligent, beady eyes (not to mention it's razor sharp, blood-red claws) the bird seemed like that of a predator, not a mere mail-delivery boy.

Students and teachers alike watched it's progress as it soared down to land upon the desk in front of the headmaster. It looked silently at him for a moment, before dropping the letter on the desk before it and taking flight instantly.

The headmaster looked curiously at the letter for a moment, one finger unconsciously grazing the old, lightning-bolt shaped scar upon his forehead. Then, with an air of forced finality, picked up the letter, opened it with a slice of his butter-knife, and allowed his eyes to travel down the page.

The farther down his eyes went, the more pronounced his look of disbelief became. As they hit the bottom of the parchment, he set the letter down as gingerly as though it were a bomb, and took a nervous look at the more experienced staff members on either side of him.

"Minerva, get the Minister over here immediately. Filius, if you could fetch Hagrid, he was working on his cabin last I heard of him. A meeting in my office in ten minutes time." Harry Potter ended, a slight quake to his voice.

The other professors looked at him curiously, but did not dare question him in front of the students. Harry jumped up from his seat, and as he was striding out of the room, a voice called out to him.

"Is something wrong, dad?" Albus called. Harry's son stood up. Being in his 6th year, Albus Severus Potter had the best of qualities he could inherit from Ginny and Harry: he was brave, quick thinking, and incredible at wandwork. Most students below him considered him the height of cool, thus anything that could make even him look as nervous as he seemed set a fearful fire roaring through the crowd of underaged witches and wizards.

Harry turned a forced but convincing smile to his son; "Nothing, Albus," he said calmly He spoke up with his next words, addressing the whole Hall. "There is nothing to worry about. It's simply an invitation to a meeting."The students, thoroughly relieved by his exclamation, soon enough left the Hall, once again carefree and excited.

One student, however, stayed behind. Albus, who had deliberately knocked over his Pumpkin Juice, slowly cleaned it up, which gave him an excuse to be the last in the Hall. Once the last of the students and teachers were out of sight, Albus sprinted up the isles to the Headmaster's chair. He gazed at the letter scribbled on the note before him.

He read it three times over, before walking away, muttering to himself.

 _To Harry James Potter, Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Hogwarts, Scotland, Earth, Universe_ _ **840294BfU23DPI008IUY**_ _;_

 _Hello, Mr. Potter. It is with great honor and privilege that I, Rodine Flux, Admin of the Universe Core Protection Squadron 992, invite you to attend the annual Meeting of the Dimension Leaders._

 _Ah, but I suppose I should enlighten you! The truth… well, it is hard to explain. I'll start with your world. As you know it, Earth exists as the only life-sustaining planet in your universe. But the thing is, your world, your universe, is not the only one to exist. There are an infinite number of dimensions, each with a similar universe, with a similar solar system of which you are now residing. Thus, the Earth as you know it is in fact one of an unlimited number of Earths that exist, separated by the folds of space-time._

 _Are you still following me? I hope so. Now, the Universe Core… Where to begin…_

 _The Core is essentially the middle of the universes. Yes, 's' as in plural universes. I suppose a more accurate description is that the Universe Core is located at the center of the infinite Sea of Space-Time. It is the creator of every Universe, every solar system, every planet, every being._

 _That being said, those precious few that know of the Core's existence, have chosen one person from each Universe to come to the Core once every ten years, to discuss major events concerning the Core. This is because any changes in the Universe Core from an outside source can greatly affect all Dimensions, and can easily cause mass destruction on an unlimited, unholy scale._

 _You have been chosen because you posses a great power, but more importantly, a sense of what is right._

 _To get to the Universe Core, you must proceed to the tallest spire of your school. There, you will find a small, purple pearl. Squeezing this pearl tightly will allow you to Disapparate and Apparate to the World Nexus, where you can catch the Nexus Rail, which is essentially a Muggle Maglev Train._

 _I am sure you are confused, and I am sorry I cannot explain further within the confines of parchment. All your questions will be answered when you arrive at the Dimension Axis._

 _Sincerely,_

 _~Rodine_

 _ **(Author's Note: That moment when a shower idea is actually extremely good… Hello, readers! I need your feedback; what do you think about this story idea? Please leave a review with your thoughts, if you've got the time!**_

 _ **To those**_ **Unbalanced Power** _**fans that were disappointed about not getting another chapter of**_ **Gallade, My Brother** _ **, I'm working on it, don't worry. The**_ **Unbalanced Power** _**series is still my main focus.**_

 _ **Thanks, have a good day! -Orthros)**_


	2. 1: The Past and the Pearl

_**(Author's Note: This story will be progressing slowly for the first few chapters. This is due to an extremely heavy plot that needs to be thoroughly explained. Make sure to take note of the dates and times in the headings, they're important. Leave any questions via review or PM. -Orthros)**_

 **-Lumiose Police Station, Third Person, Feb 9, 16 Years Ago-**

A wailing sob cut through the gloom of the semi darkness of the interrogation room, where two middle aged, fatherly officers were comforting a young woman. Speaking in relaxing, soothing tones, they offered her a drink of water as a pair of doctors entered the room. The officers turned their backs on the scene, allowing the girl privacy as she stripped off the towel she had covered herself in.

The doctors carefully examined her legs with their gloved hands, noting the unnatural swelling of her folds. She moaned in pain despite their careful search, so they quit, covering her back up, telling her how she did well during their examination, she should be proud.

Then the lead Doctor looked around at the officers, reporting what she'd found, and the looks of disgust registered in every inch of the officer's faces as the older of the two said simply, "he raped her."

At that very moment, a shout issued from a short way outside their private room; "You can't go in there, it's officers only!"

And another voice, alive with hatred responded, "Officers only be damned! Let me see my girlfriend now, on authority of the Kalos Elites!"

A split second later the door burst open and a teenager of 17 appeared in the doorway, his eyes showing a horrible fury, but it seemed to drain out of him as he shouldered his way past the officers and embraced the girl, who broke down at his tender touch. He rubbed the back of her head, rocking her back and forth.

"It's ok, Serena, I've got you now, it's alright…" He spoke softly to the woman.

A few minutes later, the pair were allowed to leave, after the young man showed his trainer ID to the officers. The boy drove off in the direction of the hospital, his girlfriend laying across the back seat, still sniffling slightly. As they rounded the corner, the officers that had come to see them off walked back up the stairs of the station, one muttering to the other; "I still can't believe he's the champion…"

 **-Sinnoh Region Lake Valor, Third Person, Present Day, 10:25 AM-**

"Great job! Again!"

Ash Ketchum smiled as the last boulder in line trembled for a moment, before breaking into tiny pieces, those of which promptly disintegrated. The Pokemon and human responsible both turned to look at the champion.

Ash turned his eyes upon his daughter first. "Great job, Sapphire! And you, too, Light."

Sapphire, named for her incredible eyes, let out a cheer, crouching down and hugging Light, her partner Riolu.

As they finished up training, having started to walk back to their house on the lakefront of Lake Valor, a shadow blotted out the sun above them. They turned their heads in unison to see a large, birdlike silhouette diving towards them. Sapphire and Light ran for cover, their arms over their heads. Ash, on the other hand, stayed where he was and raised a hand in greeting.

The bird dived straight down at the speed of a truck, leveling out at the last possible second as it passed so close to Ash it appeared to have nicked his t shirt. Ash turned around to follow the bird's progress just in time to see the small figure of a woman jump from it's back, tucking and rolling as she landed. The bird, whose body was a rusty red and had a sort of rainbow colored tail and dark blue on the underside of it's wings, let out a triumphant screech as it beat its wings once and soared straight up, before coming back down slowly to land beside his trainer.

"Good work, Braviary," The woman says, before taking a pokeball from her pocket and returning the beast to his pokeball with one last energetic scream.

The girl looked to be in her early 20s, rather short and wearing a two-piece that showed off a rather large amount of skin, even for her. Ash raises a brow at her and she laughs.

"You try wearing your normal clothing up that high in this heat," she scoffs, pulling a black tank top and knee-length shorts from a small pack on her waist and hurrying to put them on.

Ash shrugs. "I don't have a problem with it usually, Skyla. Suit yourself though, and don't let my wife see you like that in front of me," he adds in a pleading, mock voice. "She'll kill me for even glancing at you."

Skyla giggles. "Yeah, sure. Anyway, this arrived at the League this morning." She hands him a small letter, sealed with an important looking sticker. Ash snorts at the sight of it.

"You'd think, with a logo like that they could spend a bit extra and get the damn thing mailed to the right address. Thanks for coming out, Skyla."

She shrugs as they start back towards the house, a large mansion sitting on Lake Valor's waterfront, earning a great view of the lake and privacy in the form of pine trees all around. "Caitlin wanted to ride her Metagross out here, but she's got a bad head cold. I convinced her to let me take it instead. Braviary enjoyed the journey, as did I. Oh, you must be Sapphire!" She adds as the young girl reappears from behind a bush, Light standing on the back of her neck, peering over her head.

Sapphire blushes slightly, falling into step with the gym leader as they reach the front steps. She shakes her hand. "Yeah, it's nice to meet you, Skyla," she says by way of greeting.

A few minutes later Skyla and Sapphire are sitting on the couch in the spacious living room, drinking lemonade and making small talk, while Ash leans on the banister by the stairs and slices open the letter with his pocket knife.

A moment later he shakes his head in disbelief. "I'll be right back," he states, before walking back outside. The girls hear him opening his pokeballs and addressing his team.

"What do you guys think?" he says.

After a few seconds he sighs. "Yeah, we'd better check it out. Everyone except Pidgeot, return."

A moment later he reappears in the doorway, looking agitated. "I've got an… errand to run," he says nervously. "I'll be back by nightfall. Skyla, make yourself at home, Serena should be back around four."

She responds but he doesn't hear it as he jumps off the porch, landing next to Pidgeot. He climbs on her back and with a single beat of her wings they're off, soaring high over the trees.

 **-Lake Acuity, 3:54 PM-**

"Land here, Pidgeot, it's alright, I can walk the rest of the way."

Ash's worried tones cut through the brisk air, and a moment later they land on the edge of a partially frozen lake. The surrounding landscape is covered in snow. Other than the occasional cry of a hidden pokemon in the distance, there is only silence. Ash scans the treeline for a moment, taking careful note of anything that could be out of the ordinary but finds nothing.

He turns back to his Pidgeot, who's breathing heavily but looking pleased with herself. Taking off his gloves, Ash rubs her head and neck, a ritual that he'd found useful for her health after any duration of flight. She sighs with content.

"You did great, Pidgeot. Return."

As the flash of red light faded, Ash put his gloves back on. He stared for a moment at them, their peculiarly long cuffs and the small, glass half-sphere that sat on the back of each hand. Then he shook himself out of his memories, knowing he mustn't get caught up in them now. He turned his gaze instead to the middle of the lake, where a small cave was surfaced. He sighed.

"I'll never get over that ice without it breaking under my weight," he muttered to himself. "I should've brought Lapras with me."

At that point, a scratching sound echoed behind him. He spun around and found himself face to face with a Walrein, tusks easily as long as his arms. He took a nervous step backwards, but the beast didn't make any threatening movements. On the contrary, it leaned over in an unmistakable motion.

Ash raised a brow at it. "You're gonna give me a ride?"

At its nod, Ash thanked it and climbed onto it's rough-skinned back. The beast moved clumsily onto the ice, which promptly broke under their combined weight. Fortunately, Ash was high and dry on its back, so he rode comfortably, though he held on as best he could as the Walrein smashed what little ice remained out of the way with his tusks.

A few minutes later they rode through the calm, albeit cold waters undisturbed by the ice, which hadn't quite frozen over the middle of the lake yet. In no time at all they had reached the small cave, which had a patch of land before the entrance. Ash clambered off, taking care not to get wet, and stood in the entrance, facing out.

"Thank you, friend. I'll find my own way back."

With a lazy wave of his flipper, the Walrein dipped below the surface. Ash watched his shadow speed off through the water, before turning carefully on the small ledge and stooping low to enter the cave.

It was a spacious, cavern like single room with a series of puddles in the middle. The only thing in the room that appeared manmade was a small patchwork quilt dotted with stars, set against a wall in a darker corner of the room. Ash sat down next to the quilt but not upon it, lying against the wall. A moment later the being that slept on the quilt awoke.

She was a smaller pokemon, with a wreath of bright yellow hair and two tails with star-like shapes on the ends. Her eyes were slits and she had a ruby-like gem encrusted between them, in her forehead.

She turned to Ash with a happy expression on her face, though her eyes did not open. She levitated off the ground and landed lightly in his lap. Ash stroked her head slowly.

"Hello again, Uxie," Ash said softly. You've been enjoying that blanket Sapphire made, I assume."

Uxie nodded, and Ash thought back to when his daughter had helped him befriend and nurse back to health the three legendary lake pokemon after their traumatic experience with Team Galactic. After a few minutes Ash stood, still cradling Uxie. Before he could ask, Uxie floated out of his hands and came to rest on his shoulders, wrapping her tails loosely around his neck for support.

Ash let her be as he walked back to the entrance to the cave. He took a moment to scan the outer edge of the cave, which only he and a few others could see. As it was Uxie's quarters, that was essential. Jirachi herself had been involved in the remaking of the chambers.

Something seemed off however, and Ash was dumbfounded. He took out his letter and reread it, and sure enough, he could see several small indents in the stone that hadn't been there previously. They were so small that he hadn't seen them when coming in, but they were there. That in itself was impossible; only he and the other champions were supposed to even _know_ about these caves. It had been a project they had worked on in secret, providing Jirachi with enough energy to grant them a wish outside of her hibernation cycle.

Ash sighed, knowing that if this much was real, the rest of the mysterious letter must be worth at least investigating. Using the indents as hand- and footholds, he started climbing up the side of the cave. It wasn't a very tall cave, but it was steep and icy and he had to go tediously slow lest he fall off and into the freezing water below.

He reached the top several painstaking moments later, Uxie still clinging to his neck. He gained his footing and took a moment to think. "You know," he said after a moment, "I'm not sure why you came up here with me. It's a hell of a lot warmer in your cave."

Uxie sang a melodical cry that sounded a rather lot like a snicker.

Ash rolled his eyes. "You enjoy teasing me, don't you?"

He felt her nod against his neck and laughed. "Well, if you're gonna stay with me for now, at least help me keep a lookout. We gotta find a small, purple pearl."

The platform he stood on was about twenty feet square, uneven and covered in rocks and stones. He wandered carefully along the slippery surface, avoiding the edges and keeping a close eye on the ground.

A few minutes later Uxie let loose an excited singsong cry and leapt off his back. Ash quickly closed his eyes, knowing that looking into Uxie's meant permanent memory loss. Granted, that shouldn't affect him, but better safe than sorry. He felt her land on his neck again and reopened them. Held tightly in one of Uxie's two tails was a purple orb the size of a grape. Ash took it gently from her and held it up to the light, despite it being freezing and the orb having endured the weather it was warm to the touch.

"Great job, Uxie! I wouldn't've found it without you," Ash says praisingly.

Having grabbed the pearl, Ash clambered back down the cliff. _Going up_ , he thought as he slipped and dangled momentarily one handed over the freezing water where falling in was certain death, _Was so much more enjoyable._

A few seconds later he landed back on the tiny platform and re entered the cave. By that time both he and Uxie were shivering uncontrollably, and the cave, still cold and damp but much less so, was a welcome sensation. Ash sat down on the cave floor once again, at the same time picking up the quilt and wrapping Uxie in it. He rubbed her arms and legs through the fabric for a few minutes, until her shivering ceased.

He thought to himself for a moment, before standing with a sudden finality. "You're coming with me for a few days, Uxie. It's too damn cold in this place anyway."

Uxie, unnerved by Ash's sudden, unclear motive, whimpered slightly.

"Relax," Ash says. "It's only for a few days, I need to come back then anyway."

With that said, Ash strides out of the cave. He pulls a pokeball from his pocket and Pidgeot bursts out. He gets on awkwardly, as there was hardly any room on the ledge, before allowing Pidgeot to take off, heading south. Ash strips off his jacket and uses to cover Uxie, preventing any wind rash while she rode in his arms.

 **-Lake Valor, 10:45 PM-**

Ash jumped smoothly off Pidgeot, an unending stream of praise rolling from his mouth as the bird pokemon promptly collapses. A moment later a cream colored blur races past him. The Sylveon slows when she reaches Pidgeot, a look of concern crossing her face. A moment later she closes her eyes. Several blue waves emit from her body, each making a bell like ringing sound. Pidgeot's breathing immediately slows and becomes more rhythmic.

"Heal Bell," Ash breathes as Sylveon's glow fades. "Thank you, Sylveon."

Sylveon yelps happily. One of her ribbons snakes out from her body, wrapping itself loosely around Ash's free arm as a sign of affection. Ash crouches down beside Pidgeot.

"You did great, Pidgeot. Take a rest, I'll wake you when I've made your dinner."

Pidgeot caws weakly as she's returned to her pokeball. As Ash stands back up, both he and Sylveon look around as a voice calls out; "Hi, Ash!"

Ash waves at Serena, who's leaning on the porch railing, smiling down at them. "Hey, beautiful."

A light pink appears on Serena's cheeks as Ash climbs the stairs to the deck, one arm still wrapped loosely by Serena's Sylveon, the other carrying a sleeping Uxie. Serena gasps at the small form laying against his chest.

"Her cave was freezing, it's a wonder she hasn't died of hypothermia yet," Ash says in response to her questioning look. "We'll have to figure something out… What?" He adds as Serena continues to look nervously at Uxie.

She shakes her head. "Come and see," She says.

Ash follows her through the sliding glass door, onto the plush carpet of the living room. Skyla is lying on the couch, covered in a blanket and reading a book titled; " _Sky Battles: A Veteran's Story."_ She waves as Ash enters the building, a moment later her mouth drops open and she sets her book down. Ash puts a finger to his lips.

They pass by Skyla and go through a short hall, emerging in a small room that lacks a door. In it are several small beds and some boxes labeled "Medical" stacked in a corner. Two of the beds are occupied. Sapphire sits on the edge of one, stroking the sleeping form. Ash's breath catches in his throat as he recognises the blue head of Azelf and the pink tone of Mesprit.

"They're ok," Serena whispers before Ash can say anything. "Just tired out. Mesprit seems to have flown all the way here, and Azelf appeared and has been playing with Sapphire and Light since about an hour after you left."

Serena glances nervously at Sapphire, though nothing seems wrong with her. "I was worried, you know, with the legends about touching them draining things away…"

Ash puts his arm around Serena's shoulders. "That only happens if they get too nervous around the toucher. Remember, Sapphire helped me get them well a few years back. They love her more than anyone else… Well, except you and I."

Serena nods silently as Ash sets Uxie down on top of the covers of the nearest bed, still wrapped in her quilt. Sapphire waves tiredly to her father, who chuckles softly. He and Serena leave the room and end up on the loveseat, across a small coffee table from Skyla.

Ash takes out the letter and reads it over again.

 _To Ash Ketchum, Unova Region Champion, Unova League, Unova, Earth, Universe_ _ **84294BfU23DPI649IUZ**_ _;_

 _Hello, Mr. Ketchum. It is with great honor that and privilege that I, Jonathan Xephos, Head-Moderator of the Universe Core Protection Squad 992, in Service to Rodine Flux (Admin), invite you to attend the annual Meeting of the Dimension Leaders._

 _I would think you're confused by that, so allow me to explain. The truth… it is hard to define, to say the least. I'll start with Earth. As you know, Earth exists as the only life-sustaining planet in your universe. However, your world, your universe, your DIMENSION, it is not the only one to exist. There are in fact an unlimited number of dimensions, each with a unique universe, solar system and Planet Earth. Thus, the Earth you are residing on is in fact one of an infinite number of Earths, separated by the folds of space-time._

 _(And no, the Gods you worship, aka 'legendary pokemon' that have control over space time in your world in fact only have control over their own dimension, and can only move within their dimension.)_

 _Are you understanding? I hope so… Now, the Universe Core… Where to start…_

 _The Universe Core is located in the middle of the Sea of Space-Time. In other words, in the center of all the universes. It is the creator of everything; if such a thing as a God were to truly exist, the Universe Core would be it._

 _Those few who know about the Core have agreed that, when discussing events concerning the Core, a representative from every Dimension should be invited. This is due mainly to the fact that any outside source affecting the core can cause an unholy amount of destruction._

 _You have been chosen because you posses a great power, but more importantly, a sense of what is right._

 _To get to the Universe Core, you must proceed to Lake Acuity. Enter the cave, bring Uxie back out. Only then will you be able to see several faded steps upon the side of the rock, which you can use to climb to the top. Search among the stones atop the cave for a small, purple pearl. Giving this Pearl to Uxie will allow her to teleport to the World Nexus, where you can ride the Nexus Rail, which in simplest terms is a Maglev Train._

 _I am sure you are confused, if not downright suspicious, and I do not blame you. I apologize, however, for I cannot explain further within the limits of paper. All your remaining questions will be answered when you arrive at the Dimension Axis._

 _Best,_

 _~Xephos, ~Flux_

Ash blows his bangs out of his eyes, leaning back against the seat. Serena leans into him, hugging him slightly.

After a moment Ash leans forward once more. "Alright," He states formally. "I've got League business to take care of tomorrow. I don't know if it will take a day or a week or even a month, but it's got to be done."

"When did this come up?! I heard nothing about you needing to leave. Why did you not discuss this with me?" Serena asks, shocked. In answer, Ash holds up the letter, which he had folded shut.

"It only arrived this morning, but it's important," he finishes sadly. Embracing his wife, he continues. "I shouldn't be gone long."

Serena nods, before getting to her feet and setting off slowly up the stairs.

Ash sets a stern look at Skyla. "What?" She asks defensively.

He sighs heavily. "This letter is more important than you might realize, Skyla. I can't tell if it's a hoax or if what it says is real… I want you to alert the other Elites, tell them I'm going on a mission and to take care of my wife while I'm gone. And…" he trails off.

"What?" Skyla asks timidly.

Ash fixes her with the look of a man on his deathbed. "If I'm not back in one week, assume I'm dead."


	3. 2: A Deep and Wonderful Place!

**-Lake Valor, Ash's POV, Feb 15, 5:24 AM-**

Whispering quietly into the dark room, Ash, feeling slightly guilty about rousing them so early, woke the three Lake Guardians. Azelf, Uxie, and Mesprit, all looking minorly sleep deprived, telepathically greeted the Champion as they floated after him, into the living room of the lakefront home. Ash opened the front door and led them onto the raised porch, deeply breathing the brisk, fresh morning air. The sun was just coming up over the horizon at that point, and Ash was forced to squint to see the mere silhouettes of the rest of his team, who waited at the bottom of the deck for him.

Most people that meet the Champion of Unova consider him to be an extremely… unique case of trainer. However, if Ash Ketchum's spirit is fiery, it is nothing compared to that of his star squad. Sceptile, always the cool and collected one, leaned against the porch railing, twig in his mouth, and raised a hand in greeting. On the other hand, Krookodile, hot headed and proud, was training viciously against some dummies on the other side of the small yard, sunglasses reflecting the first morning rays. Froslass, who only recently decided to evolve from Glalie, mischievously coated Ash's hair in frost, giving him the temporary look of an old man. She had grown a bit shy over the years, but was still funny and energetic. Noivern, laying in the branches of a nearby tree, nodded in Ash's direction. While slightly immature, Noivern's addition to the team was only positive, combined with Froslass the two acted as the glue that held the team together. Pikachu, who had been perched on the railing, watching the sunrise, jumped onto Ash's shoulder. Old as he was, Pikachu was still strong and was always looking to prove himself. Unfortunately, he rarely gets his chance these days, his age leading to his replacement from the original team.

The last two were sparring together, and only Ash's experienced eyes, combined with his Aura Sight, allowed him to make out the battle, and even then only slightly clearly. As he watched, Greninja and Infernape closed the distance between themselves (a good two hundred feet after a momentarily long-range battle) in the space of a second. Greninja had a long Cut blade in each hand, whereas Infernape's dual Mach Punches glowed white hot. They jabbed and blocked, thrusted and whirled, moving at speeds most people wouldn't think possible. Finally a mistake was made; Infernape spun on his right foot, bringing his left around at chest level to deliver a devastating kick, but Greninja had expected the assault; he ducked low and aimed his cut attack straight up. The cut attack pierced easily. Infernape screeched in pain as the force of the blow lifted him off his feet. Combined with his own momentum, the monkey-like pokemon was thrown several feet to the left, landing in a heap at the water's edge. He tried to stand, but the moment he did he yelled in pain once again, and Ash saw blood flowing from the wound, into the surf.

Greninja walked slowly over and put his fist gently on Infernape's forehead, forcing his head to the ground. He quieted down immediately at the pin. Ash watched apprehensively, knowing that the rivalry between the two of them was nothing short of astounding. After a moment, however, Infernape sighed and tapped the ground. Greninja, laughing slightly, moved his hand to Infernape's hand. He pulled the older pokemon to his feet and allowed him to drape a long arm around his shoulder, both laughing. Ash chuckled as they began their three-legged walk back to the others. Krookodile meandered up moments later and matched pace with them.

As they neared the porch, Ash poked his head back inside the doorway once again. "Gardevoir, if you wouldn't mind helping us out? I know you're awake."

A few moments later a sudden flare of white light appeared on the deck. It faded as quickly as it had come, however, but it still left a bright patch in Ash's retinas. He rubbed his eyes momentarily, and when he opened them again a Gardevoir was standing in front of him. Ash had to hand it to Serena, she trained her pokemon well. Her team; Delphox, Gardevoir, Sylveon, and Glaceon were all extremely powerful, easily on par with Iris's pokemon.

Ash pointed to the top of the stairs, where Krookodile and Greninja had just appeared, supporting Infernape between them, the latter of which had turned slightly grey due to blood loss, which had created a red trail from the beach to where they deposited him. Gardevoir sighed, walking over to Infernape with a cross expression on her face. Ash stifled a laugh, he knew for a fact that Infernape and she liked each other, but her hard-to-get strategy had left him stumped. Infernape looked away in embarrassment as Gardevoir laid her hands on the cut. Ash realized it was worse than he'd thought; it was a deep gash spreading from the bottom of Infernape's knee almost to his waist.

It was now Ash's turn to take on a cross look, though he directed it to Greninja, who seemed to shrink slightly under his gaze.

"You're supposed to pull your punches during training," Ash says, and though he aims the lecture at Greninja, the entire team listens intently to the reminder, as always. "This may be a safe place to hone your skills, but serious injury isn't something we can have, especially with hints of Team Plasma still being active. We need to be ready to move at a moments notice, and flaying each other to within an inch of each other's lives is not something we can do right now."

Ash gets a generalized response to this, but he knows his team is antsy for some action. "I know," he says. "There haven't been any challenges recently, but that isn't an excuse to tear each other to pieces just for minimal experience, if that. We know each other too well anyways," he adds. "It isn't experience to battle yourselves over and over…"

He trails off, sighing. "Tell you all what," he says. "Let's check out this note and see what in the hell is going on. Afterwards, we can travel to Hoenn and fight Drake for title of Hoenn Champion."

The silence, which had already been complete save Infernape's quiet groaning as his skin knit itself back together under Gardevoir's Heal Pulse, seemed to become, if possible, even more deafening. However, it was also charged with a tensity at the prospect of their first challenging battle in a long time.

Ash grinned, which broke the silence as the whole team cheered loudly. "Alright, keep it down!" he says in a loud whisper. "The rest of em are still trying to sleep."

" _They weren't the only ones,"_ A grumpy, feminine voice sounds in the back of his head as Gardevoir regained her footing, Infernape's leg fully healed. She pushed her green hair out of her eyes and fixed him with an annoyed stare. " _So,"_ she says pointedly. " _Are you going to tell Serena where you're going?"_

Ash sighed sadly. He figured Gardevoir would ask this, in fact he knew she had stayed awake specifically for this moment. Serena had found her in a parking lot as a Ralts, and had taken her home. By this time, the rest of the team had already been with her for years, but they and Serena had taken her under their wings and in no time she showed promise as an extremely strong and loyal pokemon. "Gardevoir…" Ash trailed off, weighing each word. "You know I can't. I have no idea what's going to happen, and something tells me I might not want to. I can't put her through that kind of worry."

" _She worries more when she doesn't know,"_ Gardevoir responds angrily, but she doesn't argue the point otherwise. Ash rubs his face exasperatedly as the Embrace Pokemon floats through the door and off into a hallway. A few seconds of silence followed, Ash's team nervously glancing at one another.

Finally Ash sighs. "Alright. It's time to go. Uxie?"

Ash pressed the buttons on his pokeballs and, one by one, his pokemon team returns to their respective quarters. Then he pulls from his pocket the purple stone, seemingly innocent in his hand save the warm sensation he felt when he touched it. Mesprit and Azelf both wrapped their tails around either one of his arms. Ash opened his palm, allowing Uxie to grip the pearl in one of her tails, the other of which wrapped loosely around his neck. Ash took several deep breaths, hyping himself up, then nodded to Uxie. Her face grimaced in concentration for a moment.

Suddenly they were enveloped in a harsh, white light. Ash, having teleported before, closed his eyes and held his breath, bracing against the sudden pressure in his ears. However, unlike the normal, momentary vacuum feeling, the pressure was much higher than normal. It didn't stop after a moment, either, and Ash began to panic as the pressure built painfully in his head. Just as he felt like his face was about to implode, The pain vanished, replaced with a moment of silence, followed by a loud round of cheering.

Ash dropped to his knees, eyes still shut tight, breathing heavenly, Arceus-given breaths of delicious air. Only when he felt the Lake Guardians float off his shoulders did he even realize his eyes were closed and hastened to open them. The scene he saw could not have been farther from expected.

He stood in a chamber about the size of his living room, completely bare save the doorway on the far wall. It was colored spotless white, and the corners didn't seem to have seams. Ash got shakily to his feet, looking at the Lake Guardians. "You three ok?"

They nod but stick close to Ash, which only confirms his suspicions; They were in an unknown place. After a moment his eyes are torn to the doorway, where several people had just emerged, still clapping and catcalling. Four people were wearing identical suits made of a carbon-fibre like material, but it flowed like fabric. Each had two barrels extending from the top of their arm, lined up with their middle finger. Ash suspected they were guards, but they seemed carefree and energetic. Standing between them was a shorter man wearing an _extremely_ expensive looking suit. The fabric literally glowed in hues of silver, gold, and emerald, and it seemed to flow from the neck to his shoes as if he were standing in a waterfall of molten precious metals. He wore shades tinted a deep black but in such a way that Ash could somehow see through perfectly to the man's happy but tired eyes. His fair was brown, and a patch on his suit, over his heart. Read: " _Hello! I am_ **Professor Jonathan Xephos** _!_

"Ahh, you made it!" Xephos said cheerfully. "As you can probably see, my name is Jonathan Xephos, but you can call me John."

Ash looks nervously around the room as he shakes the man's hand.

Xephos reads Ash's face. "You must have many, many questions," he said gently.

"That's a bit of an understatement," Ash muttered in response, causing the professor to chuckle.

He thrust a hand into the pocket of a satchel that hung on his left leg. After digging his arm much deeper than should've been physically possible, Xephos pulled out a pair of goggles. They seemed fashioned similarly to a Virtual Reality headset that Sapphire had practically forced him to try once at a store.

Xephos hands him the goggles, then snaps his fingers. At once, a bed seems to appear out of thin air, attached to the wall. A TV, refrigerator, microwave, along with several other appliances melted out of the wall, too, and Ash turned around just in time to see a door materialize into existence behind him, revealing a court yard big enough for his friends.

"You can let your… What did you people call them? 'Pokemon,' right? Yes, you can let them out to roam around there, and use these goggles to watch the introductory video," Xephos said. He glances at Ash. "For most of your people, your world consists of only your Earth. For you, that is no longer the case," he says, his voice shaking with prideful emotion. "Trust me, you'll be happy you came."

The guards exit the room, and as Xephos gets to the doorway he calls back; "You can leave this room at any time, but I _highly_ advise you to watch that video first." He disappears. Ash stares in shock at the door for a moment, goggles hanging loosely in his hands. Finally he shakes his head firmly. He drops them on the bed, then walks through the back doorway and into the courtyard. It's fairly large, walled but open to the sky, with deep green grass and sweet smelling air. It's fairly bright, and Ash glances up momentarily, shielding his eyes against the sun. Then he looks down once more, pulling his pokeballs from their compartments and popping them open.

"Alright," he says tiredly as his friends appear before him. "Stay here and hang out for a bit, don't leave the courtyard." After receiving assent from him, Ash leaves them and the Lake Guardians to fend for themselves for the time being. He heads back inside, sitting down on the bed. He feels the fabric between his fingers. It's soft and comforting, and he's vaguely reminded of his mother's soft blanket that she would hug him through when he was little. Why it was this memory of all things he thought of as he removed his hand from the bed and pulled the strap of the headset wide, he wasn't sure. Surely it wouldn't have been designed that way?

Taking a deep breath, Ash pulls the strap of the goggles over his head, slipping them on. For a moment, all he can see is black, but then a dim light appears. It slowly grows brighter, allowing him to get used to the change, and then a deep, calming voice sounds through the headphones.

"Hello, Mr. Ash Ketchum. My name is Roger, and I am an AI that will be taking you through your virtual tour of the Dimension Axis today. Tell me, are you laying down?"

"No," Ash responds, somewhat lamely.

"Ok," The robot responds. "Stay seated, then. Your goggles are about to expand slightly. Do not be alarmed, it is simply adjusting to give you a better experience." Ash stayed still as he felt the device emit a soft beeping, and then a shell of metal closed over his head, almost like a helmet. "Are you ok?"

"Yes," he responds.

"Alright," Roger says. "Lay down upon the bed. Commence travels." All at once, he's standing in a white room very similar to the one he was just in. Before he can think anything of this, another person appears next to him. He's tall and skinny, with sunset orange dyed hair and blue eyes. He flashes a peace sign at Ash and speaks in the same voice of the AI, which doesn't seem to fit him at all. "Follow me."

They leave the room and Ash gasps. They're standing in an enormous room, and from Ash's high vantage point, for they had appeared up very high, he thought the entire city of Lumiose could've fit inside it. The walls were made of millions of doors, each with a long, silver staircase that descended downwards a couple of feet, before joining with the main staircase, which had hundreds of people flowing down it already.

Ash and Roger joined the crowd, which seemed hurried but organized and peaceful, the likes of which Ash wouldn't of thought possible otherwise. It took nearly 10 minutes to reach the bottom, but Ash wasn't tired in the least: this was all virtual. When they finally reached it, Roger motioned to the staircase and the millions of doors around them. As he did, the white noise that had been present earlier faded until he could only hear the bot.

"This place you are in now is called the Station at the Seams. It's a Deep and Wonderful Place! At present, sir, you are standing between two dimensions."

Ash choked on his breath. "W-what?"

Roger nodded. "Your Earth is but one of millions, billions of Earths. Each one is in it's own dimension, and each is different. Tell me, how would all of that stay stable without something to keep it that way?" Ash shrugs, and Roger chuckles. "The answer lies at the Dimension Axis." he motions to their left, where a Maglev train sat silently waiting. "That is the Nexus Rail. You will ride it soon, on a two day journey to the Dimension Axis. There, you will be given the opportunity to speak on behalf of your world about anything that you need addressed."

Roger snaps his fingers and Ash's head is suddenly filled with images of what looked like the biggest meeting he'd ever seen, billions present, listening to someone speak about a world ending catastrophe. Ash shakes his head, but understands, much to his own surprise. "Alright. When do I set out?"

Roger grins. "Whenever you're ready, but by tomorrow noon at latest. It's about 6 PM here. We run on the same time as most Earths, but we've our own time zone. I will see you again soon. Commence Exit."

Suddenly the world becomes dark again and Ash feels the device slip off his head. He quickly sits up, breathing heavily. _So it really is true…_ the reality of his situation hit him like a Wood Hammer and sent his head spinning, heart beating a million miles an hour. It took him several minutes to calm himself, deeply breathing, trying to get his head around the fact that he was in a different _dimension._

 _No,_ he thought. _Between dimensions._ He stood with finality and went to check on his team. They greeted him nervously, but he seemed cheerful enough, so they allowed themselves to return to their pokeballs. Ash looked at the Lake Guardians. "You three should go in temporarily as well," he says sadly. While not happy about it, they agreed, so Ash captured them in three spare Ultra Balls. He was glad he had opted to get a pokemon increase, allowing up to 25 pokemon to travel with him, a helpful decision considering some of the pokemon liberation missions he had run since becoming Champion of Unova.

He glanced around the small room he was in, then, with an air of forced finality, strutted through the front door of his room. He appeared at the staircase once again, though this time he was much lower. He joined the crowd of people and streamed down the stairs, trying not to stumble over the thought that invaded his mind: _every person around me is from a different dimension…_ He managed to make it to the bottom without tripping, and headed to the train. It was a sleek design, colored in royal designs of green and yellow. Rather than wheels, it had two turbines that stretched the length of the train, which upon closer inspection seemed almost two miles long. Ash whistled low as he waited his turn in the fairly quick moving line.

A few moments later, Ash was at the front and boarding. He moved down the aisle, and it seemed like a fairly regular train: aluminum seats with comfortable looking material covering them, designed to fold down into beds when the time came. Ash took one near the back of his compartment, laying his bag down beside him. The compartment was quickly filling up, and Ash was surprised to see four teenagers, three guys and a girl, stagger nervously onto the train. He was understandably more surprised by the fact that three of them were dressed in combat gear, the guys all had swords, and the girl had a vicious looking dagger strapped to her arm and a laptop with a Greek Delta glowing blue on the front. They made their way carefully through the aisle, taking care not to hurt anyone with their weapons, though they were sheathed. They stopped beside Ash.

"Mind if we take these seats?" The first guy said. He seemed to be the leader of the group; with sea-green eyes, untidy jet black hair and a scar on his forehead that looked suspiciously shaped like a hoof print.

Ash shrugged. "Long as you don't impale me," he joked.

The boy on his right grinned. He was dressed in jeans and a green shirt, with blond hair and an overall skinny appearance. "I like this guy," he says cockily.

"That's no reason not to be suspicious, Magnus," says the third. He was the tallest of the three, with gold-blonde hair, blue eyes, and a handsome face. His shirt read, " **My daddy is the Lord of the Sky! What about yours?** " He gripped his sword pommel so tightly his knuckles were white.

"My Gods, Jason, calm down," The girl said as she settled in beside the other two boys, who were already sat beside Ash. She leaned comfortably against the first kid, hinting to Ash of their relationship. "Impaling someone won't get us points during this, remember that. Besides, Zeus wouldn't want his own son getting kicked off this kind of thing."

Jason grumbled for a moment, before sighing and sitting down, too. " _Jupiter_ seemed upset enough about this in the first place, Annabeth. It's not like him to not know something about this place, eh?"

"All of you calm down," the leader ordered before the girl, Annabeth, could retort. He shakes his head and holds his hand out to Ash. "It's nice to meet you. My name is Percy, and these are my friends, Jason, Magnus, and Annabeth."

Ash shook the boy's hand. "Same to you. I don't know if I heard you right," he adds to Annabeth, "But did I hear you say _Gods,_ as in 's,' for plural?"

Annabeth grimaces. "Yep, you did."

Magnus rolls his eyes. "Nice going, Annabeth." he turns to Ash. "Although, if all this crap about dimensions really is true, then it wouldn't matter. We come from the Earth where all the Greek, Roman, and in my case, Norse Gods are real."

Any other day, Ash wouldn't've believed this and instead ordered these kids to a mental hospital, but with all this? What the hell, why not. Four kids dressed in greek armor claiming that the Gods exist. Sure.

"What about you?" Percy asks.

Ash laughed at this. "Me? I come from the world of Pokemon."

All four looked severely confused at this, and so Ash launched into an explanation that took the better part of five hours to complete. By the time he had finished, the train had started off, taking them to who knows where.

'Cas if their Gods didn't even have a clue about this place, who in their right mind would?


	4. 3: The Train of New Ideals

**-Next Day, Nexus Rail, 10:25 AM-**

Ash gazed out of the train windows, finally unfazed by the sea of black spread out before him. The only thing that seemed to exist in the current realm was the track suspended over nothing, which the train followed unwaveringly towards a destination that even God doesn't know where. He glanced back at the sleeping forms of those behind him, correcting himself: _Gods._

Unbelievable though it seemed, Percy Jackson, Annabeth Chase, her cousin Magnus Chase, and Jason Grace were sitting behind him. After hours of explaining by both parties about their worlds, Ash had come to learn that the Greek, Roman, Norse, and even Egyptian Gods (though the latter kept to themselves,) were in fact one hundred percent real in their dimension. What was even more shocking was that the kids were _children_ of the Gods. 'Half-Bloods' they called themselves; the sons or daughters of one mortal human and one immortal God. It was quite interesting.

"Although, getting that damn letter was pretty interesting, too." Percy had said. "'Proceed to the Sea of Monsters. You will find a whirlpool (not Charybdis) that Percy will be able to control near Polyphemus's island. At the bottom of the pool will be a purple pearl. Take this to Leo Valdez, son of Vulcan, and he will be able to give you a device to transport you to the World Nexus.' Sounded like a load of crap, but we had nothing better to do. We've all retired mostly from fighting, going to college, not getting impaled, that sorta thing. The easy life."

Ash stifled a laugh, pulling one of his pokeballs from his pocket. He had refused to pull any of the team out, due to their nerves (not to mention his), but now he risked it. The flash of light was muffled by his jacket, and Pikachu popped out from under the coat moments later. Ash chuckled, rubbing the electric type's head soothingly.

"This seems pretty crazy, eh, Pikachu?" he mutters.

Pikachu's reply, which Ash would have been able to understand with his Aura, was drowned out by a sudden shuddering of the train. It immediately started to slow, and most of the passengers jerked awake. That included Percy, Jason, and Magnus, all of whom had their swords halfway out of their scabbards before Ash could tell them otherwise. "Stop!" he said quickly. "The train is just slowing down."

That only made Percy and Jason more nervous, it seemed. Magnus sat down slowly, one hand still on his pommel, a gem on his necklace slowly loosing a bright glow. Only Annabeth had stayed seated, though Ash spotted one arm lowering slowly from her shoulder scabbard, where her dagger was located. "Why're we stopping if the train isn't even half way there yet?" she asked.

In answer, a voice sounds through the compartment. It was coming from hidden speakers, but it was so clear it might as well have been coming from right next to Ash. Jason and Percy had a silent argument, before sitting down, like Magnus, with their hands still on their pommels.

"Ladies and Gentlemen," Xephos's voice said. "I sincerely apologize for not warning you sooner; we've got a total of ten of these Nexus Stations, you see. We're picking up as many as we can from station four, having come from station five. After that, a fresh train will pick up the rest from station four. Again, apologies for any inconveniences."

Jason and Percy seemed satisfied with that statement as they folded their beds back into seats. Magnus gazed sadly at his for a moment. "You couldn't've saved that for five more minutes?" he said depressingly, before retracting his as well.

Ash laughed as he adjusted his seat as well, Pikachu on his shoulder. When he was done, Pikachu jumped onto his lap. Percy eyed the mouse wearily. "That's one of your… 'pokemon?'"

Ash nods. "A friend. Speaking of world-specific crap, why do you guys have your swords extended? Didn't you say you could hide them? At least, Riptide?"

Jason grimaces. "The giant Enceladus destroyed my first Imperial Gold Sword, but yeah, it used to disguise itself as a Drachma."

Percy answers his side by pulling a pen cap from his other pocket, drawing Riptide carefully, then touching it to the tip of the double-edged, glowing bronze blade. Instantly, he was holding a harmless ink pen in his hand. Ash raises a brow at it, though at this point nothing could surprise him. "Why a pen of all things?"

Percy shrugs. "It used to be a hair pin, but I think it transformed as the world progressed. Seems more likely a guy would have a pen in his pocket instead of a hair pin, eh?"

"Fair enough."

At that, light flares across the windows, and the group's heads snap over to see a familiar-yet-unfamiliar station coming into view. The train stopped short of the main docking area, however, and instead waited a moment, before turning onto a side track and stopping by a smaller platform. A few people, maybe a hundred or so, filed towards the train, all with dazed looks that Ash was sure he mirrored at first, too. The doors opened and a conductor started getting people inside. Only one person was allowed in their compartment before the door closed. He took the only seat still available, across the aisle from Ash, slightly in front of the demigods.

He seemed in shock, but was alert all the same. He wore a long, black-as-night set of robes decorated with four animals; A snake coiling around his legs, strong and cunning, a badger on his back, fiercely protecting her young at her feet, an Eagle, one wing cutting down under his left arm, the other spread up over the right shoulder, looking regal, powerful, and smart, and finally, on his chest, legs hidden behind the Eagle, was a proud Lion, with an expression of looking fearlessly into the face of Death. Each of his shoulders carried a symbol of the same four animals surrounding a Charcoal black 'H,' and finally, below the crest, was a miniature banner bearing the phrase "Draco Dormiens Nunquam Titillandus" wrapped in gold leaf. He had bright green eyes, glasses, and a thin, lightning shaped scar on his forehead.

He pushed a hand nervously into his pocket and settled, glancing around curiously. He caught Ash's eye, sighed, then took his hand out of his pocket and held it out to Ash in a warm greeting. "Hello," he said tiredly. "I'm Harry Potter."

"Ash Ketchum," Ash responded, shaking Harry's hand firmly. "So what world are you from?"

Harry grimaced. "I suppose nothing will surprise you at this point."

Ash laughed. "These teens behind me are half-gods, supposedly. I think I can handle it."

Harry shook his head in disbelief, and, after shaking hands with Percy and his friends, launched into an explanation of the wizarding world. The idea that their three worlds could have been as drastically different from each other as they were was astounding; from wand waving to sword fighting to elemental creatures. And yet, several similarities showed themselves as well; the forces of good and evil clashing being one of the biggest presented.

"So," Jason pointed at the emblem on Harry's shoulder. "' _Draco Dormiens Nunquam Titillandus_.' Why is your motto the Latin translation for ' _Never Tickle a Sleeping Dragon_ '?"

"It's the wizarding version of 'Let sleeping dogs lie," Harry responded, sounding surprised. "Hogwarts… Well, it's not dangerous, but putting almost every witch and wizard in Britain in a school together isn't exactly the correct definition of 'safe' either. I think the bigger question is how you knew what it meant in the first place," He shot back good-naturedly.

"My father is the Roman form of Zeus: Jupiter. One of the side affects of having an all-powerful, grumpy old Sky God as your pops is the ability to understand Latin easily, or at least no harder than English," Jason responded, leaning back in his chair and grinning.

"My dad is Poseidon," Percy added. "Annabeth is a daughter of Athena, and Magnus, a son of Frey. I can understand Greek easily myself, and apparently Magnus can read Old Norse. I only recently met him, so I don't know much."

Magnus winced. "Reading isn't too hard, but screw the accent, I can't speak it for the life of me."

That statement earned a laugh from the rest of the small party as the train started to move once again.

 **-Nexus Rail, 6:55 PM-**

Harry reclined comfortably in his chair, having finally been able to relax. The day had been extremely unnerving; levitating himself on to that tower, finding that stupid pearl, and, to his great surprise, found that he had been able to apparate to the Nexus. He had been quite within the confines of the school's magical borders, meaning that someone quite powerful had to have removed them in that one area, much more so as he or she didn't alert the other staff to his or her presence while doing so. The frights didn't stop there, he had found himself in that white room, comforted by an old man in a suit that practically rained rubies and sapphires, but far from feeling convinced, Harry had drawn his wand and nearly been shot because of it.

He groaned inwardly at the memory. Over his mournful thoughts, a growling sound erupted behind him. He jumped slightly in surprise and turned to look at the teens behind him. The boy in the forest green shirt, Magnus, was blushing profoundly, while his friends howled with laughter.

"Hey, I'm hungry," he defended himself weakly.

"It's closing in on 7 PM," the older man in front stated. Ash was about Harry's age, making him thankful that someone with a bit of maturity had been invited along. Of course, he had surrounded himself in his magical 'pokemon' creatures, so Harry didn't exactly trust him, either. He seemed kind enough, but anyone that had a giant ape with a mane of flames for a friend, as demonstrated earlier in a compartment that just happened to defy the laws of space-time, could stay a few steps away from him.

" _Attention, passengers."_ The speakers flared to life again, crystal clear as before. " _Dinner will be served shortly."_

Sure enough, a moment later the clock hanging above the doors chimed seven and the doors themselves slid open. Cooks came bursting forth, arms and hands laden down heavily with food and drink. Harry heard a small dinging sound at his feet. Before he could react, a small panel, about an inch tall, popped out between his feet and spread outwards, pushing his shoes to the side. This oddities' objective was made clear moments later as a bar popped up from the floor, rose to stomach height, and expanded into a thin but sturdy single person table. A few waiters arrived and took everyone's order in a neat and orderly fashion. In moments a dark skinned man had stopped by Harry's side.

"What'll it be today, Sir?" He asked, his tone gruff but kind.

Harry looked confusedly at him, then back around the car. As far as he could tell, no menus had been distributed. The man must've read his expression, because he laughed.

"I forgot to tell ya," he said, chuckling. "Unlimited menu. You say it, we make it. Whatever you like."

Harry nodded appreciatively at this. After all, this train has rooms that defy the laws of space-time. Hell, this whole _TRIP_ defies and disproves everything he'd ever learned. Why couldn't they have an infinite menu?

A few minutes later (again, the cooks impress by defying gravity in order to access a ceiling panel, apparently the kitchens were located in some invisible compartment atop the train. Why not?) Harry was enjoying an impressive steak, courtesy of the chefs. The rest of the occupants of the train car had been served as well, and the quiet clinking of forks and knives was the only sound throughout the compartment.

A few minutes into the food, the speakers flared to life once again. " _Attention, passengers,"_ Xephos's voice sounded. " _I will be arriving in your compartments shortly, through use of a simple hologram, to introduce a guest. He will be giving a speech. I believe you will find it much more informative than the simple tour you were given at your initial arrival."_

Sure enough, moments later two men materialized in the middle of the compartment. Professor Xephos was instantly recognizable, though his brown hair was unkempt and he wore a suit which this time glowed in rainbow hues, as if he was wearing a solid pearl that was constantly catching the light in the perfect way. The other man was, in Harry's opinion, the first to look like a true _leader._ He was older, perhaps in his late 60s, with black hair that had thin slices of natural silver in it. His eyes were dark, almost black, with flecks of gold in them. His suit looked normal (thank the Gods), and his shoes were formal.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Xephos said. "May I introduce Professor Rodine Flux, Administrator of the Universe Core Protection Squad 992, in charge of protecting the Universe Core and seeing it's visitors safely to the Dimension Axis!"

Harry clapped appreciatively along with the others. He didn't know much about this 'Dimension Axis,' but he knew about the importance of Military Ranking. This man was essentially the General of this whole ordeal, and he definetly conducted himself well.

"Thank you," Professor Flux says, his voice somewhat quiet, yet commanding attention from everyone in the room. Harry immediately recognized the similarity of the trait: Severus Snape had achieved a similar status during his teachings. "It is my genuine honor, along with my partner, Professor Jonathan Xephos, to welcome you all to the Nexus Rail, and soon, the Dimension Axis."

"I know that when you all arrived here, you were given a virtual tour of the Nexus Station. I think you all can agree with me that it was very, very basic. I apologize for the large holes it left in your introduction to this place. It is actually a very recent development. We used them that day as a sort of Beta test, you see. As we expected, it wasn't thorough in the slightest. Again, I apologize."

Flux pauses for a moment, considering the people around him, who ranged from 18 to almost 90, by the looks of one. "I suppose we should start at the World Nexus." The Admin snaps his fingers. Immediately, the scene changes. One moment they're sitting in a train compartment, the next standing, or rather _floating_ , over a familiar train station.

"There is no need for alarm," Flux says sternly but kindly, as several people emit cries of shock. "It is all a hologram, an illusion. Now, The Nexus Station. We've a total of ten of these wondrous train stations, you see. These are placed along a series of lines we call Induction Points. They're sort of like the Ley Lines of the multiverse, in a sense. By assembling these stations across these Points, we can convert energy from any type of transportation from any world and use it to get visitors to them. I'm sure you all came here using a different means of transport." He waves a hand at Harry. "If I remember correctly, you Disapperated from your world with the pearl in your hand, correct?"

Harry nodded. "It took much longer than usual, though."

Flux nods. "That's understandable. The Core recognized the pearl and rerouted your teleportation, ending you up at one of the Station's many Rooms."

"You didn't mention you could _teleport_ ," Jason whispered to Harry.

"Whereas you didn't mention your friend Leo Valdez could build the equivalent of a levitating roller coaster, Chase," Flux responded in Harry's place. "That must've been… entertaining."

"Speak for yourself, Flux," Annabeth retorted, turning a slight shade of green. "I had to fly the damned thing. Never again," she shook her head. "Never, _ever_ , again."

The passengers chuckled.

Flux smiled down at her. "I've no blame for you, Chase. And to answer your unasked question, I know the names of everyone in this train. It's my job to keep tabs, though the bulk goes to my good friend Xephos, here."

Flux cleared his throat. "I understand most of you are nervous. This trip will most likely defy all logical, let alone religious ideals that you know. I won't deny it. But," he continues, his face alive with passion, "it is of the utmost importance that we bring you here. We want only what is best for the Multiverse, and that can only be obtained by bringing in the best and brightest from every world. All of you have accomplished so much, achieving debts the likes of which cannot be repaid. Perhaps the following view will accomplish a start of that for you, though."

At once, the walls around the compartment seemed to vanish, so the passengers were riding on an open platform, with a perfect view of what lay around them. In all directions, a sea of endless, inky blackness flowed like an unending nightmare. The passengers looked around confusedly for a moment, before…

"Look!" someone yelled.

A light emerged in the distance. As they got closer, the train suddenly rose on a steep incline made of nothing, leveling out high above the light. With a slight shudder, the train slowed, then angled downward, so they headed down into the lights.

They saw a giant, blue, discus shaped platform, as large as ten football fields and at least 20 wide. The blue light came from lines that crisscrossed under the seemingly glass floor. All around, buildings rose, and the train leveled out as it arrived, landing in a station. A moment later it stopped, a warning beep sounded, the lights came on, and the train shuddered as it's walls reappeared and the doors opened.

They had arrived.


End file.
